


The Patrimony

by SonoftheSun



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Adorable Thor (Marvel), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Asgard is the Street Thor Grew Up On, Bathtubs, Bruce has an Emotional Support Animal, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gardens & Gardening, Grief/Mourning, Hulk is Not Canon, Hulk is a Mental Monster, Hurt Bruce, Hurt Bruce Banner, Hurt Thor (Marvel), Italian Villa, Italy, Light Angst, Loki Loves Literature, Loki and Bruce are friends, M/M, Marvel Universe, Past Abuse, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Character Death, Professor Bruce Banner, Professors, Protective Bruce, Resentment, Summer, Summer Romance, Thor and Loki Own A Villa, Thulk, ThunderScience - Freeform, Valkyrie Owns A Bar, bruce loves thor, gammahammer - Freeform, thor loves bruce, thorbruce, thruce
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2020-03-20 18:48:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18998410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonoftheSun/pseuds/SonoftheSun
Summary: With their Father's death, Thor and Loki inherit his unknown villa in Lombardy, Italy. The two move there for the summer to heal from his passing.





	1. Burial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two brothers mourn their dearly departed father.

Sunlight filtered in through the stained glass windows. The warm, golden glow danced atop the worn pews, their green, fraying fabric tearing in a multitude of places. It wasn't a large church by any means, it was one you'd see in storybooks about the 1800s. Tallgrass swaddled the old building in its alcove of trees, and a beaten, dirt path wound its way toward the battered, unpainted doors. The bell that loftily hung in the steeple above had tumbled down into the dry dirt below. It laid there, rusted, cracked, and forgotten for a century. Thor looked around himself; maybe it had been built in the 1800s. The interior was not ventilated, the floors were clearly rotting, and the rafters above creaked precariously. Thor looked at how the dismal air that hung around the sanctuary contrasted with the vibrancy in front of him. Large, metal rings stood proud and fair in front of the altar, with coiling flowers of every spring color intertwined with every nook and cranny the metal ring allowed. His father's casket was embellished with gold trim, the shimmering metal lining every crevice and frame of the mahogany box that held the body of his own flesh and blood. 

Wiping the moisture away from the bottom of his eyelid, Thor blindly reached over his strong hand and gripped his brother’s thigh, clad in black, much like himself. Thor wasn’t sure if it was to steady himself or Loki at this point. Maybe it was to clutch what little family he had left. Maybe to finally grasp the reality that dad really was never coming back. He remained that way throughout the service, eyes glued to the decayed floorboards as if he were stuck in some perpetual prayer. He didn’t know why his father wanted to be buried in the old church, he was one of the wealthiest men in the neighborhood, and Asgard was always appreciative of his generosity. Loki and Thor had picked out a beautiful funeral home for him, the one where their mother and sister had their services until Odin said otherwise from beyond the grave.

By the time the service had come to a close, the lack of ventilation had finally caught up with Thor. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his long, golden hair, once neatly braided was now slipping out of the knots and sticking to the side of his wet face. Looking up for the first time in almost an hour, he noticed the same had happened to Loki, smiling briefly as he wiped the sweat off of his head with his sleeve. Turning on his heel with a creak, Thor was swallowed by a sea of people. There were far more people in the little chapel than what it was made for, the eight pews were obscured by the mass of bodies that spilled out of the front doors. Weaving through the crowds with Loki short behind him, he met with the blubbering faces of neighbors, unknown relatives, and those hoping to have been mentioned in Odin’s will.

Looking over the sea of people, Thor surveyed the mass of black clothing for a certain few people. He didn’t know why it was important that the handful of his friends came. He had more than enough people here to convince a monarch that he was the most important person in the country. Trying his hardest not to seem like a selfish bastard, Thor gently navigated the throng of people, whispering soft, broken “excuse me’s” as his large bulky body carved a path for his slender brother to pass through.

They were nearing the front of the church now, and if at all possible, Thor began to sweat at such a rate he thought he would faint. His entire body started to go rigid, and every nerve in his body felt as if it was engulfed in flames. His arm going numb and losing a bit of politeness in the process, Thor began shoving the guests out of the way. His lungs began to feel impacted, and oxygen was becoming a rare commodity, so he dashed for the outside, hoping that more air would be allotted there. Finally pushing through one last wave of people he stumbled out onto the dirt and the hot May sun increased his panic induced sweating even more. Frantically scanning the few people in the shade of the trees Thor receded to a large oak tree and propped himself underneath it. Loki quickly came to his side, and stared at Thor with a worried guise and labored breath.

"Thor...You okay?" Loki swept his long dark hair out his eyes, and his brow furrowed a bit in concern.

The older brother scanned the groups near the church before answering. "Y-yes. Just got a bit stuffy is all."

Loki shook his head. "It's hotter out here than it is out here. Talk to me. I know it's hard, I don't want to talk to any of these people either. But...we have to."

Thor gritted his teeth and exhaled deeply through his nose. "I want some people here. They didn't show up." 

Loki's tone of voice shifted from concern to sympathy. "They'll be here Thor. They'll be here for you. For US. They care about us. Remember that, okay? You're worth their time." Loki cradled his hand underneath Thor’s chin and stared him down. “You’re worth it.”

Straightening himself and wiping even more tears out of his eyes. He felt so fragile at times, so brittle. He relied so heavily on approval from others that he often panicked at the slightest bit of malcontent that he had hurt or upset them and had disastrously ruined what he relationships he built. Loki threw his arms around his older brother to offer some sense of solace.

Still gripping his brother tightly, Loki’s flustered and searched for anything that could soothe his hysterical brother. Eyes flickering up at the sun peeking through the leaves above him, he whispered, “I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again.”

There wasn’t any eagerness to disengage the hug, Loki could still feel Thor’s heart palpitations and rapid, panicking breath. However, as if to pass on the duty of comfort the large man to another, a still, strong voice so gracefully interjected the hug.

Thor’s damp face shot up from its cradled position in the crook of Loki’s neck and smiled weakly at his friends before him: Steve, Clint, Tony, and Natasha. Steve has stepped forward and placed his hand on Loki’s shoulder.

The brothers detached their hug and Steve walked in to hug both of them, followed quickly by the rest of their friends. Surrounded by the people who loved him, Thor felt sick. The genuineness of the hug and the affection and passion poured out in this simple gesture by his friends overwhelmed him with guilt when he should be feeling loved. How could he think his best friends would abandon him? How did he ever think they would leave him? He wanted to run and hide. He didn’t deserve their love of this is how he felt towards them. The shame he felt was almost too much to bear. 

They slowly began to disengage, and Loki sniffled after being released from the hug. Thor did the same but reverted to his old strategy of look at the ground. One by one, all of them comforted the two brothers, and for those moments, Thor blocked out all shame, all self-ridicule and was able to grieve normally.

During the burial, the two brothers watched as their last family member was lowered into the ground and with the sound of the wood hitting the earth, Thor had never felt more alone. He emptily thanked all of his friends and family for attending the funeral and service and thanked them for the opportunity to mourn and remember. He and Loki stood silently in the grass as they watched the multitude of cars drive out of the alcove. He turned his head over to Loki, and the two both acknowledged the pain in each other’s eyes without even saying a word. He wondered if Loki was so empathetic he could sense the underlying self resent that tore away at his innards. 

As the last car left in a cloud of dust, the brothers stood in the wavy grass alone. Loki opened his mouth as if he wanted to break the silence between them but then held his tongue. He turned to leave, heading towards the car but stopped and pivoted in the field at his brother.

He raised a finger as if he were scolding, but it felt more of sympathetic plea or command. “Do not shut me out again like you did after Mom died. We’re both grieving, and only each other’s grieving can connect on the same wavelengths. We need to be together. Please.” There was this faint tingle of desperation that coiled itself around Loki’s tone of voice. Thor needed him more than he needed Thor, and it was up to the older brother to figure that out for himself.


	2. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two Odinson brothers meet for dinner after their father's funeral.

Thor opened the door and slung his car keys onto the rack next to him. Trudging down the dark hallway of his apartment, Thor sighed and brushed open the creaky, flimsy door that kept his bedroom from the living room. He sat on the bed in silence, removing his black dress shoes and chucking them at the wall. He swung his body onto the unmade bed and lay there in solitude. Staring at the roof, he wasn't sure if he should cry or not. It felt like the right thing to do, seeing as his father had just passed away, and it was expected of him to mourn, but he didn't feel some profound grief for some reason. He didn't feel anything as he lay there. His soul felt so empty it might just start to collapse in on itself and pull the rest of his body in with it.

Thor shook his head and picked up his phone. It read six thirty. Loki was supposed to arrive in thirty minutes. It wasn't long, and he looked disgusting. He didn't have time to take a shower, so he settled on just freshening up would have to suffice. The shower would come later. He dragged himself into the bathroom and stared at his sullen face in the mirror. Dark circles hung under his eyes, his beard, which once was clean shaven, was now clearly bearing a five o' clock shadow, and his hair was still damp from the profuse sweating. He sighed and ran the tap before wetting a washcloth and dabbing it on his face. The cold water trickled down his forehead, and Thor shivered as it dripped onto his dress shirt. He unbuttoned it and chucked it on the floor before reaching into his closet and pulling out a purple T-shirt that was two sizes too small.

He dragged himself out of the bathroom and sat himself down on the green couch that sat in the center of the living room. He stared across the living room and peered into his distorted black reflection in the powered off television in front of him. If Thor was honest with himself, he could've made himself decent, but he didn't feel like it. Loki would deal with it he supposed. His apartment was a mess, clutter was strewn everywhere, dishes were piling to unfeasible levels, and he was pretty sure the shirt he was wearing hadn't been washed in a week. His living space hadn't changed for the better ever since the news of his father's death, and he had let the mess wreak havoc upon his little flat.

Thor had dozed off entirely by the time the keyhole rattled, and the front door had creaked open. Thor wiped the hair out from his eyes as Loki trod softly on the carpet, holding sizeable brown paper bags and giving Thor a weak smile. Thor leaped up to ease his brother's burden and grabbed two of the bags and sweeping dishes on the counter to the side and set them down. Looking down at the contents of the groceries, Thor was able to make out veal and various herbs and spices.

"Saltimbocca?" Thor looked up at his dark-haired brother, giving him a genuine smile.

Loki nodded and smiled back. "Yea. Thought...it was fitting. I uh, also got you some other groceries while at the store. Bread, eggs, and milk, and some other stuff."

Thor snickered silently. Loki was always the empath. The one who knew what mattered. Saltimbocca was one of Odin's favorite meals during their childhood. Loki's instinctive thoughtfulness was even further impacted when Thor pulled out a large red box of Fruity Pebbles, a childhood favorite of the two brothers.

“So what do you need me to do first?” Thor looked at his brother with an almost pleading look, begging for something to distract him from the void that threatened to swallow his conscious.

“Take out the chicken and start seasoning it. Salt and pepper will suffice.” Loki pulled the contents from the bag, and slid it over to his brother before turning around and beginning to heat a skillet on the old gas stove.

They exchanged nods and sounds of affirmation, Loki mostly taking control but memories of the past sometimes trickled in, and he was able to recollect what to do next. 

Turning around to ask for more direction, Thor was met by a startling pink apron that hung over his brother’s worn gray polo. The apron was embroidered with large gaudy letters reading “Classy, Sassy, and a bit Smart Assy.” The sudden appearance of the apron caused Thor to lose it and start laughing to himself.

Loki looked down. “What, you don’t like it?? I think it fits me pretty perfectly,” he said in a jokingly snobbish tone.

Still recovering from the hysterical fit, Thor pointed at it, index finger still warbling from laughter. “P-please tell me that was a gift and you did not use your own money on that.”

Loki smirked. "I did. Now stop laughing at me and wash those dishes there, I need a place to put these skillets in and I don't think the reigning occupants of the sink are keen on allowing any more entrants." Loki swirled his spatula in a tizzy, motioning at the ungodly pile of dirty dishes that were on the verge of collapse. 

Thor typically wasn't one to be so subservient, but Loki had such an affirmative and leading aura that lingered that sometimes it was just most natural to give in.

It wasn't long before the dinner was ready and Loki was daintily embellishing the chicken with parsley leaves, despite the meal being on paper plates Thor had dug out of his pantry. Taking a seat on the counter bar, they admired their creation, and Loki handed Thor a fork. As usual, Loki's cooking was divine, everything was seared to perfection, and the salt and pepper seasoning Thor tossed in wasn't bad either. 

Loki glanced up from his plate at his brother sliding his fork along with the plate, and shoveling more into his mouth. "S'good yeah?" He asked.

Thor nodded in agreement, not directing his gaze away from the food. 

Loki twiddled his fork on the edge of the plate. The white fluorescent bulb illuminated the counter with a lifeless light amid the otherwise dark apartment. Sighing and setting his elbows on the counter, Loki looked over at his brother. "Thor when was the last time you had a cooked meal? Like a real one. Not ramen or something instant from your pantry. When did you last take time to prepare a genuine meal for yourself?

Thor stifled a belch and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Last time you came over, I guess. I don't have time to prepare food for myself these days. I'm no good at it anyway."

Loki wasn't sure whether to feel concern or sadness for his brother. It was a mix of both. When Frigga died, Thor slipped too. It was exceptionally difficult for Loki and Odin. It was as if Thor was looking to drag himself down to hell with their mother. He spiraled out of their control. The grief wasn't anything Thor was prepared to deal with, let alone himself. He stopped caring for himself, lost his job, and became convinced that he had to deal with his problems alone. It tore Loki and their father apart seeing Thor rejecting them to continue in such a self-destructive nature. They weren't sure how much longer Thor could last, picking away at his consciousness, shredding it through his thoughts and anxieties. 

Loki scanned the stained carpet of Thor's living room. It wasn't two years ago he had found his brother collapsed on the floor with alcohol poisoning. Loki wasn't sure if he would lose his brother that night, but he swore if he didn’t, he would not let his brother fall so deeply again. Thor picked himself up after the incident, with his brother and father as support. Thor was rehabilitated and sobered up, and he started to get some semblance of his old life back, but Loki knew Thor was permanently wounded from Frigga's death. They pulled him back, but it wasn't all the way. They slapped a band-aid on the wound and Loki was always there to make sure the bandage was in place.

Getting up to throw away the paper plate, Loki sighed. "How about you come live with me for a bit? Or I can come live with you if you like. It'd...be good for us to be together; rely on each other." Loki peeked into Thor's pantry, peering at the contents. He knew what he was looking for, there hadn't been a bit of the stuff since Thor left rehab, but it didn't do any harm to make sure.

Thor stared at his plate and nodded sluggishly. "Uhh, yeah. That'd be good, I suppose, stay with you if that's okay. After we read the will?" 

Loki smiled warmly. "That'd be great. It'll be good. Get out of the city for a little bit."

Thor moved up to help Loki clean the rest of the kitchen, but his brother exerted his commanding nature and ordered Thor to take a rest on the couch while he did the cleaning. According to Loki; "he didn't mind."

Sitting on the couch after Loki had vacuumed the house, they perused the various streaming services before just deciding to shut down the television.

Loki wasn't sure if he should ask Thor about their father. Hell, he was hardly ready to talk about Odin himself. He decided to hold off and try to keep the conversation light. They chatted about meaningless things, such as driving stories, or what their friends were doing. Nothing meaningful really but Loki could read it in Thor's eyes. It was a sign of thankfulness. He knew Loki was holding back from letting it all out, talking about the elephant in the room, and just making friendly conversation. Such a simple thing that meant so much. It was ten thirty before the brother's parted ways, and Thor waved goodbye as his brother piled his groceries into his tiny black sports car.

Thor locked the door behind him and click of the lock reverberated through the empty apartment, signaling to him that he was once again, alone. He marched to the bathroom to take that long awaited shower, before picking up his phone. Turning on the lights and his phone, he saw he had a text from all of his friends at the funeral. They were all checking on him, letting them know they were there. He smiled weakly and set the phone on the counter.

Thor stripped off the small T-shirt and threw it on the cold tile and stepped into the shower. It ran a little too hot and his arms turned a bright tomato red under the heat, but it didn't bother Thor. He sighed and looked down at the water, circling the drain. He began to recollect on the day, the events, and what was said. Odin was really dead now. His body was underground, and there was nothing he could do about it. Feeling powerless, Thor slunk to the floor of the shower. Loki may have evaded talk of their father, but he surely wasn't granting himself that pleasure. 

He wasn’t sure how long he kept himself cloistered in his shower, but he stayed until the water heater said enough and the shower head spewed lukewarm water. Thor scoffed at himself as he stepped out onto the cold, dry floor, he was in the shower for over two hours and didn’t bother washing any part of his body. He walked over to the mirror and rubbed his face. He wasn’t sure if he had cried in the shower, he wouldn't have noticed the tears washing down the drain along with the water.

Thor’s ears perked up as he looked over at his phone silently rattling on the cream-colored counter. Tilting his head, he saw a picture of him and Clint, arms wrapped around one another, red solo cups in hand. He stared at the five, white lettered word at the top and blinked at it. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself at this point. Sure Clint was probably calling to check on him, but Thor could feel it in his bones. He’d been holding something in since the funeral. He had been harboring an upwelling of emotion, and he wasn't quite sure of its origins, but the last person he wanted to hurl his problems upon was Clint.

Thor let the phone vibrate futilely for a few more moments before it stopped. A few seconds later another light vibration rattled the phone with a “Hey buddy, just checking on you. Here if you need me. Just give me a holler.” Thor opened the bathroom door and chucked the phone onto his bed and looked at himself in the mirror. The reading of the will was tomorrow. The one last reminder that their father was truly dead. Thor turned off the lights and headed to the living room to make sure everything was off before he went to bed. Some light was peeping out from underneath the pantry door. Opening it up to switch off the light, Thor looked up on the top shelf at the unopened bottle of whiskey snuggly nestled between some expired foods. He stared at it for longer than he'd like to have admitted to himself, clenched his fist, and shut the door. 


	3. Inheritance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While reading their father's will, Thor and Loki are presented with an unforeseen gift.

It wasn't long before the alarm Thor had somehow remembered to set for himself abruptly intruded upon the dreamless, grey sleep that draped his eyelids. Loki was going to be there to pick him up for them to view the Odin's will. Slinging his legs over the side of the bed, Thor rubbed his eyes and chuckled to himself. It had been a while since he had woken up to an alarm. It was progress, he supposed.

Shedding the shirt he had put on so hastily last night, Thor peeked over at the long, vertical mirror hung to the left of him. Turning to his side and rubbing his chest, he nodded. It wasn't exactly a beer gut, but he was no bodybuilder either. The lack of alcohol in his life since rehab had helped cut down his weight considerably, and for the time being, he was happy with it. Reaching into his closet, Thor scanned for something acceptable to wear; he chuckled to himself at his astounding amount of purple tops. Glancing down at his purple T-shirt, Thor smiled and looked up at the roof. Tossing the purple tee into the dirty clothes hamper, Thor slid a purple button-up off its hanger and pulled out a pair of brown dress pants from the drawer beside his bed.

Inspecting his look in the mirror, Thor thought he looked rather distinguished, without a doubt the best he had looked in a few months. Invigorated by the new look, Thor dashed to the bathroom to get his unruly hair in order, and to trim his beard. Looking at himself in the mirror once again, he stroked his beard, he had contemplated braiding it at one point but seemed to lack the motivation to do so. Upset that he had yet to braid his beard at this point, Thor's brow furrowed, and he stepped away from the mirror before parking himself on the couch once more. Tilting his head back to look at the crack twisting through his white chalk ceiling, Thor recited the time that Loki had said he would come to pick Thor up: Nine Thirty. The two words escaping his lips in a trickle, as if he was chanting a mantra, seemingly pounded against the hollow walls of his apartment.

Rubbing his brow, Thor squinted forward at the television. Nine thirty was a time that could have been good or bad for him. He used to set time goals for himself, to limit drinks from his flask, to pace his drinking. If he had resisted three swigs from his flask by nine-thirty, he was doing well. If he was over three...it could be assumed the rest of the workday would go shitty.

A subtle knock indicated Loki's arrival. If not for the silence that hung over Thor's apartment, he likely would not have heard it. Letting himself in like he always did, Loki emerged in a stark black suit with shined shoes and a dark tie with nuanced checkered patterns. Thor looked down on himself, he was severely underdressed, but the sparkle in his brother's eye soon swept away any feelings of inadequacy.

Smiling, Loki complimented him. "You look great. I like that button-up on you. Where'd you get it?"

Thor blinked a few times getting off the couch as he racked his brain of where in the world he got the shirt that fit him so very nicely. "I don't know really, just feels like it popped up in my closet one day." He tugged at it, "It fits nicely, though."

"It looks nice as well." Loki patted his brother on the shoulder and escorted him out the door.

The two sat in silence as they headed toward the will reading, neither of them even looking over at one another. It wasn't in any form of disrespect or anger, but Thor found himself often struggling to find good conversation topics. The latter choice was to open up about his struggles or talk about Odin, but it was obvious both of them had been dwelling on it already and coupling it with the reading of Odin's will might be a bit much for the both of them. So the silence stayed.

As the broken cement below the car crunched and crackled before coming to a stop, Loki glanced over to his right and sighed. "You ready?"

Thor nodded silently and clicked his tongue in agreement. He let out a soft, "Yeah."

As Loki handled all the formalities at the main desk, Thor sat in a slightly uncomfortable and tiny waiting chair colored an abhorrent shade of maroon. Twidling his thumbs, he looked up Loki handling all the business matters of signing in and all and stood up. He didn't look to be in any problematic situation and could very well handle the case himself, but something pulled him up. He hated Loki doing everything for him, carrying the weight of two men when they both should be alleviating another's troubles, taking each other's loads and burdens. But it hadn't been that way in a long time. Not since their mother died, and Thor hated it. He felt so helpless at times he wanted to shut Loki out to prove he could take care of himself. Whether it was to prove it to his brother or himself he never could decide.

As quickly as he had arisen, Loki turned around and weaved between the coffee tables to take a seat next to Thor. Cocking his head as he approached him, he inquired his sibling. "Needed something?"

Thor stuttered with his answer. "Ah-uh, no it's fine. Just...thought you could use some help. Or maybe they needed some identification from me, or...something."

Loki turned his head, even more, to try and see his brother's hanging face, which was drooping closer and closer to the floor. "Hey, are you alright? Do you want to step outside? We can if you need, we're the only ones here for four hours, and they can wait on us as long as we need, and they're still not ready for us yet, to begin with."

Thor's eyes dashed to the carpet and shook his head. "No-no, I'm fine, I promise."

Loki nodded, although he knew something was bothering his sibling. Eager to change the subject, he took his seat and soon directed his attention to the questionable interior decor. "Get a load of this place, huh? It looks like it was pulled straight out of the seventies."

The walls surrounding the waiting room were paneled with dark wood, and the coffee tables matched the walls a little too well. To top it all off, the carpet was a godawful lime green that looked stained in multiple places. 

Picking up one of the magazines before them, Loki chuckled. "Magazines are from the seventies too."

Thor snickered along with his brother as a door far down the hallway creaked open. Both of them stood up in almost perfect unison and walked towards the hallway. 

A posh, distinguished man in a dark navy suit and a crimson bowtie stepped out from the hallway and jovially trotted to the brothers with an outstretched hand. He had a pleasant smile, and there was an endearing gap between his two front teeth that he almost flashed with pride. Loki reached out and shook his hand instinctively.

"Sam Wilson," The man said, "Pleasure to meet you Mr.-?" 

Loki let out a chuckle and answered. "Odinson. I am Loki, and this is my brother Thor." He motioned to his left."

Thor stretched out his hand and firmly grasped Sam's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Sam nodded and smiled, before beckoning them into the back room. "I'm sorry I couldn't have met you two under better circumstances. I know this must be a hard time for both of you." They nodded. "You don't gotta feel pressured to talk either. You guys can tell me to shut up if you need." Thor didn't mind the filler provided by this man, and the genuineness he radiated was a vibe he and Loki needed.

Sam opened a door and motioned Thor and Loki in before entering himself and closing the door behind them. At the head of the table lied a manila envelope that undoubtedly held the lasting testament of their late father. 

With Thor and Loki sitting across from one another and Sam at the head, he glanced at the two brothers and traced his finger across the top of the envelope. "You guys ready to start?" The two nodded. "Then here we go." Sam took out a small letter opener and sliced open the top and pulled out the papers.

Sam began to skim through the papers, and the two sat across, looking at him. Then, Sam spoke. "Okay, boys, real simple business here. Due to your mother and sister's untimely passing, you two are the only recipients in this will. But you knew that since you're the only ones here." Same laughed nervously. "So your father perfectly divided his life savings between you two, and we'll get that sorted out later, but as of right now you two should know everything you're going to possess." Thor and Loki nodded solemnly. "Uhh, the home your father owned, 34957 Asgard Avenue, New Haven Indiana, 46774, that's correct?" Once again, the two nodded. 

Thor felt sick. That sense of realism was washing over him again, and he started getting panicky. Sweat started building upon his forehead, and his palms were getting very clammy. Before the pins and needles which so often came after the sweating, Loki reached over and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. His brother winked at him in the most solemn way possible and redirected his attention to Sam.

"And lastly, of major importance at least, you boys now co-own-" Sam contorted his face and squinted at the print as if he were trying to make something out. "Via Torno 5, 22110 Como, Italy. You boys have inherited your father's Italian villa it would seem." Sam slid the paper with the address down the middle of the table, and both Thor and Loki leaned out of their seats to stare at the address.

Loki spoke first. "T-this has to be some mistake. Father never owned an Italian villa. We've never even heard of this." 

Sam shrugged. "Your father's will has been revised multiple times, most recently about say, two months ago. He wanted it in there. Can't be a mistake."

Thor stared at the address. "You don't suppose this was bought recently? Was he planning on going before, he...passed?" Loki's brow furrowed. 

"I have no clue. Maybe it's the other way around? It could have been somewhere Mom and him visited, but when they had kids, they just locked it down and forgot about it." 

Thor sat back down in the seat, rubbing his temples, trying to find any mention of a home in the province of Italy during his childhood. The stressed look on Loki's pale face signified he was doing the same.

Sam stood up. "I'll be right back boys, for right now, you can start to decide what to do with these newly inherited properties, and I'll work on getting you the keys to your father's safe deposit boxes."

"Thank you, Mr. Wilson." The brothers said in unison without even looking up.

Sam clicked his tongue. "Mr. Wilson was my father. Call me, Sam."


	4. Journey

"Thor. Hey Thor. We've almost landed." Loki leaned over and began to poke and prod his brother, dazing out of the plane window. Thor removed his headphones and glanced over at Loki and smiled.

"Yeah, I know. I've been watching the ground get closer and closer." Clouds were slowly ascending above the aircraft, and Milan sprawled out in brilliance beneath them. Completely in awe at the splendor of the ancient city, Thor sighed with happiness; he was happy Loki convinced him to come. It took some convincing, though. When they inherited the villa from their father, Loki was beyond thrilled. Thor was indifferent. 

\- - - - - - -

"Don't you see Thor? It's is a sign! We need to get out, clear our heads! Get out of the drag of every day and escape for a bit. It's like I was saying last night." Loki tried to restrain himself; he wasn't angry, just passionate.

Thor groaned and threw himself onto the couch and spoke into the fabric. "You go, that's more your style." Loki scoffed and picked his brother up by hoisting him up by clasping onto Thor's hand. "I- want- you with me!" Loki's speech was interrupted by each attempt at pulling his brother up from his dead position. Thor sighed into the sofa and pulled himself up, albeit no help from Loki's futile tries to raise him. "Loki I-I can't leave, WE can't leave. I have rent; you have a job, we have responsibilities we can't just drop for a vacation halfway across the world. 

Loki groaned and rolled his eyes. "Thor," He smacked the palm of his hand with the side of his other hand as he spoke, "It feels weird to say, trust me, but this isn't a coincidence; it's like dad was calling us to it. We should go...for him." 

Thor let out an internal sigh. Loki was pulling out all the stops here. He had played the trump card. Was it fucked up that Loki was using their late father as justification? Not really, he supposed, he knew Loki's intents weren't driven by selfishness. Still, Thor lacked the enthusiasm his brother seethed so fervently. He was a bit worried that Loki was blinded by his sheer excitement to tussle with logic at the moment. 

"Loki, let's be real here. This isn't something we can just...do! There are bills we have to pay, responsibilities we gotta take care of-" Loki cut him off. His lip curled into a playful smile.

"Okay Thor, what responsibilities? Go ahead; I'm waiting." 

Thor huffed. "Rent for my apartment." 

"Dad left us an enormous sum of money to do with as you please. There aren't any guidelines with what you're supposed to do with it. If you don't like the idea of using his money to pay your rent, I'll pay for it. It's not that big 'a deal." Loki stared at him with watchful eyes, waiting for Thor's next argument. 

Thor quickly retaliated. "Your job, you just can't pack up and leave." 

"I have over two months of vacation days, and sick leave built up. I can leave whenever and Coulson can't do shit about for over sixty days. Got anything else?"

Thor's tongue spun around his upper and lower lip furiously, taste buds smoothing over the hair of his beard. He was thinking hard but was failing miserably at trying to conjure up excuses."Uhh.."

Loki smiled, it wasn't condescending or even triumphant, it was happy. He was glowing as he stared Thor down with patient eyes. 

Staring at his brother, he caved. "How soon until we leave then?" Loki held out his hand began to tap on his fingers as if it were a checklist or itinerary. "I need to call Peggy to see if she can keep watch over my houseplants, I need to tell Coulson I'll be out for...a while, and of course we have to look up plane tickets. Maybe a week if that works for you?" 

Thor shrugged. "I don't have any qualms with it, I...really don't have anything tieing me down here. But do you even know the first thing about Italy? Or Italian? We only have the title deed, hell, for all we know it could be rented out to someone..." Thor began to double back on his fast acquiescence, now free of Loki's endearing pleas.

"Well," Loki bit his lip as if Thor's single jab of logic shoved him out of his stupor. "You speak Italian, right?" Thor scoffed. "I took two years of it in high school, that was five Millenium ago..." Thor trailed off in a facetiously wispy voice as if some elder trying to delve back to the past and retrieve a forgotten memory.

His brother rolled his eyes. "I'm sure once you hear it all around, you'll begin to remember. I think we'll be fine. As far as I know, dad never spoke Italian, and he seemed to be off just fine."

Thor picked at the couch cushion with his fingernail, trying to wrap his head around it all. Italy. Halfway across the world when the farthest he'd ever gone in his entire life was Oregon. And Loki had made a sound case for using some of the will money to finance the trip, so it was all paid for as well. He wasn't expecting a summer-long European vacation to unfold before him when he woke up this morning. Did it seem wrong though to take a vacation right after Odin's passing, though? It almost felt disrespectful to go and partake in a lavish vacation or enjoy oneself after such a grievous moment. He wasn't entirely sure if he would be able even to enjoy himself with his father omnipresent, especially since the place they would be staying had their father baked in. But he supposed Loki made a valid point. Odin wouldn't leave them the villa without wanting them to go. It was theirs to do with what they wanted, they could sell it, rent it, but regardless it made sense to visit once. Perhaps they'd uncover something about their father he wanted to be hidden until he was gone.

Thor clicked his tongue and nodded as he stood up. "You know what, brother?" His tone wasn't necessarily indicative of any certain emotion; Thor had perfected the art of nulling any emotion in his speech, leaving Loki to wonder at what his brother was going to say next. Loki never feared his brother, but his eyes still darted across the room, hesitant to make eye contact with Thor as he walked towards him. Standing silent for about two seconds, Thor broke a smile and threw his arms around Loki and laughed. "I think it's a great idea." 

Worry soon broke to joy, and Loki laughed along with his brother and threw his arms around Thor, smiling once more as his head rested on Thor's massive shoulder.

\- - - - - - - - -

Thor buckled his seatbelt as the plane descended and gripped the hand rests as they pressed down onto the landing strip. Loki glanced over and shot him a goofy grin. 

Passing through security was surprisingly easy, and before Thor and Bruce knew it, they exited the airport and were welcomed by a blast of hot, humid, summer air that caused Loki to exhale. "Damn, I guess we should've figured it'd be hot seeing we came in the summer," Loki said while removing his pullover hoodie. 

Thor nodded while jerking his suitcase over a crack on the sidewalk and nodded. "I suppose I should've packed accordingly. We'll have to get some more appropriate clothes later today." 

Loki looked down at his phone. "I'm gonna get us an uber; the villa is about a 40-minute drive from here." 

He shot Loki a confused look. "And you have the Italian know how to do so?"

Loki shrugged sheepishly. "I'll just...show him the address. I have it pulled up on my phone. No biggie!" Loki smiled and pointed to the address on his phone.

He shrugged. It was the best bet they had and if Loki believed it would work, so be it.

\- - - - - - - - - - 

To Thor's surprise, Loki had no issue with directing their driver to their father's villa, namely because the driver spoke English, much to Loki's embarrassment after brokenly trying to speak Italian to the driver. Once the red flush in Loki's cheeks receded, Thor directed his attention to the window to try and get a good view of where they would be staying for the next couple of months. Much to Thor's dismay, however, he failed to compensate for the time change and promptly dozed off for the majority of the trip. Thor awoke to his brother's soft touch on his shoulder. 

They had entered Como, and the sun had risen to the peak of the sky and the noonday sun relentlessly beat down on the streets below. To his left, the lake was nestled between tree-covered hills. Greenery sprawled over the tiny streets and there were shops on every corner. Right on the lakeside was a small little bar, Chiosco Al Molo, that caught Thor's attention. After the bar, they started to ascend one of the hills and Loki excitedly announced that they were getting near, as the villa was either at the top or near the top of the hill. Houses lined the cliff sides and every time there was a gap between the two homes, Como lake spread farther and farther out, and Thor wondered how on earth their father owned such a fine piece of property. 

Looping the hill at least five times, the car finally stopped at what Thor assumed was the villa and stepped out. It was a tall, and slender two-story building in a creme colored white with copper Lisbon roofing. Vines and various plants scrawled over the white stucco and had turned it unsightly colors of brown and green. The cobblestone patio and walkway were overgrown with weeds and moss, and the metal outdoor furniture on the deck overlooking the lake had since been rusted. The windows were dark and dusty and the green front door's paint was chipping away. Despite the homely look, it was still a nice piece of property, a fixer-upper Thor figured, considering it hadn't been taken care of in at least a decade. 

Turning back to the driver, Thor asked if he had been paid until Loki reassured him he had it covered. Thor hoisted out his and Loki's things while his brother took care of payment and such. With their summer belongings on the cobbled walkway, a quick "Ciao" was exchanged, and the driver was off. 

Loki took in the home as Thor had done not seconds before. He eagerly awaited his brother's opinion. 

"We could fix this place up really nice if you're up for it. Summer project?" Loki turned to his older sibling and shot him an inquiring look. 

Thor stammered. "Yeah, I think that would be good, although we haven't even taken a look on the inside. 

"Well, then why don't we?" Loki grinned enthusiastically as he whipped out the single silver key for the villa, stuck the key in, and gave it a twist.


	5. Greetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Bruce meet their neighbor.

Loki plucked the key out the lock, and the green door creaked open as a sweep of musty air rushed out to meet their noses. Loki yanked his suitcase over the doorstep, and the wheels soon ran smoothly over the discolored hardwood floor of the house. Thor followed suit and closed the door behind them before Loki could find a light switch, but it didn't matter as there was plenty of natural light to illuminate their path. The door led them into a narrow hallway with high ceilings and a few globe-like lamps that hadn't be turned on in decades. Setting the key on the desk in the hallway, Loki sidled along the wall of the hall to avoid contact with the desk. Thor thought it an odd place for a piece of furniture, seeing as the hallway was narrow enough, and a desk just seemed like an obstacle rather than anything convenient. Thor turned sideways as Loki once did to bypass the desk, and after that, he was free from the tight confines of the hall. 

The hall opened up into the living room, albeit a bit more space, but it still mirrored the shape of the hallway, long and thin. The source of natural light was a tall window that scraped the roof of the home to the bottom of the creaking hardwood floors. To the left of the living room was the kitchen, which was accessed through an indoor archway. The kitchen tile was smooth grey stone, and in the middle sat an island with a sink and a few barstools. The appliances on the surrounding counters and the fridge were unplugged, and the stove looked to be on the verge of collapsing. Thor turned on his heel out of the kitchen and sat his suitcase and duffel on the dusty white couch, which lay right next to the kitchen archway. He took a seat next to his belongings and let out a sigh. The room was relatively empty, void of any interior decor save for a few empty bookshelves, unplugged lamps, and a glass coffee table that sat on a creme colored rug. 

On the right side of the wall was a tall staircase and the thumping on the roof indicated Loki was already inspecting the contents of the second floor. Placing his hands on his knees and pushing himself up, Thor grabbed the railing of the stairs and climbed up to join his brother. The second floor was carpeted, and the ceiling was much lower; there was no big window to illuminate the whole floor, but the multiple windows allowed light to filter in just fine. There were three doors on the second floor, and from the sound of it, Loki was in the left one. Following suit, Thor walked into what he assumed was the master bedroom, seeing as it was easily the largest room in the house. Once again, a wide window provided more than enough natural light for the room, although the brightness was somewhat diminished for this room by the thin white curtains that draped down to the windowsill. On the opposite side of the window was a large king-sized bed with navy blue sheets and pillowcases with two nightstands on the side. 

"Loki? You in here?" Thor called out. 

"Yeah, I'm in here! In the bathroom!"

Thor looked down. "Like using the bathroom? Or just looking at it?"

His question was answered when Loki's head popped out from behind the archway with a giddy grin. "Just looking."

The master bathroom wasn't too different from the rest of the house — white tiles for the floor and cream-colored walls. In the bathroom was a stand-up shower, a built-in bathtub, and a closet between both the bath and shower, and past the two sinks was a small room with the toilet. Loki stepped out from the closet and smiled. 

"Looks good, I'm gonna have an inspector come through and check out all the plumbing and electrical wiring and make sure it's all safe to use. You checked out the other rooms yet?" Thor shook his head. 

"I suppose it's just another bathroom and bedroom, let's skip it," Loki said, stepping past Thor and into the bedroom. 

"You going to get the inspector?" Thor called. Loki turned and gave him another one of his broad grins. "I'm going to meet the neighbors." 

Thor blinked. "Neighbors? All the houses on the hill are way below us." 

Loki waggled his finger. "Nope, there's a villa above us, at the top. Look's to be huge, easily twice the size of any of the houses here on the hill. Though we'd go introduce ourselves?" 

Thor smiled weakly. He wasn't much one for going to people, he much preferred they approach him, and even then, he would most likely be uncomfortable. But he supposed if he was accompanied by Loki greeting neighbors wouldn't be so bad. He knew Loki was tired, but Thor admired his optimism and energy for meeting new people and seeing the city, especially after a grueling flight. Thor felt slightly stupid for missing the supposed large villa atop the hill, but he solely blamed it upon the lack of sleep and the jet-lag. Loki, however, seemed to be unaffected by both and was eager to explore where they would be staying for the rest of the Summer. 

Loki tromped down the stairs and chucked his coat on the couch and darted past the hallway desk, his hand sliding the silver key across the desk until it slid into his palm. Thor followed suit, albeit with much less enthusiasm, but he was happy to join his brother on any pursuits he found enjoyable. Meeting neighbors wasn't exactly his cup of tea, but he most certainly didn't want to be a downer, and he eventually would have to interact with them at some point, so why not clear out the awkward, "hey we live next door" haze?

Seeing himself out as Loki kept the door open for him, his brother locked the door behind them and started down the cobble path to the rusting black iron gate that separated the mossy brick walls that surrounded their new home. Now walking along the street, the pavement was much smoother, and Thor turned round to look at the house. It seemed the same since before they came, untouched and overgrown, left alone for years. The uphill climb wasn't as daunting as Thor imagined, to his pleasure and before long, they had arrived without breaking a sweat.

"White seemed to a common theme for Italian villas," Thor thought. The home was a stark white, mostly stucco, but also greyish bricks as accents. The villa was easily three stories tall, or the tall, slender pillars on the front porch deceived him; windows were reaching for the ceiling of the overhang that was supported by the pillars. There was a tall brick fence, so tall Thor could not see over the top, and it was covered in vines and ivy. Multiple trees surrounded the home, and it kept the majority of the house shrouded, so only the front door and such were visible. Loki started up the brick steps to the front door and was about to knock on the door when Thor heard a small roar of laughter from the over the brick wall. 

Thor turned to his brother, frozen in his position and looking in the direction of the laughter. His brother shrugged, "guess they're outside then." 

Thor subtly grimaced. It was strange truly, seeing as he felt far more uncomfortable approaching someone who sounded like they were busy, rather than knocking on someone's door. Knocking on the door seemed far less rude than barging into whatever their neighbor was doing. 

"Loki wait," He grabbed his brother's arm and caused Loki to spin on his heel, the stone audibly scruffing the heel of Loki's shoes. "This all seems rude, I guess? Our neighbor is busy, I mean, I hear multiple voices." Thor gestured to over the brick wall again, and surely enough, there were soft murmurs and the low clatter and clinks of dinnerware. 

Glancing back, Loki sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I just wanted to pop by to let him know we're here, I guess. Don't want him calling in the police for any suspicious activity near the house when it's just us trying to move in."

Sighing through clenched teeth, Thor rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking back at his brother. "Quick check-in can't hurt, I guess." Thor still was uneasy about dropping by so unexpectedly, but at this point, he was going to let Loki do the talking, considering his sibling was so gung-ho about the idea, to begin with. 

The brick fence opened up not far away from the front door, and the opening of the wall being covered by a trellis draped in lush plants with small white buds that had not yet bloomed. Loki awkwardly did an imitation knock on the brick wall next to him, but Thor knew it was their unexpected arrival that announced them, and not Loki's pitiful knock. 

The people ahead of them sat around an elegant glass table with woven wicker lawn chairs. The table was on a raised brick patio that was covered by an ornate glass overhang, and beyond the table was an inground pool with three fountains and a small waterfall feature. Surrounding the glass overhang were flowerbeds housing many flowers and plants that seemed to shine in the noon sun, and once again, more fountain features dotted the garden display to their right. 

To Thor's relief, the guests did not seem upset or frightened by their appearances, perhaps the patrons thought they were late arrivals? They beckoned the two siblings over with friendly gestures, and they obliged. Getting closer to the table, Thor could see two women laughing and exchanging quick, almost flirtatious glances at one another. The woman on the left had short, dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a flashy white smile that made Thor feel quite warm inside. The woman to her right had bright blonde hair that was cut at her shoulder, and brown eyes to match the woman next to her. However, her face was a tad more serious than that of her counterpart. On the opposite side of the two women was another woman and a man, who seemed to be writing something down on a napkin. The man had short, chocolate brown hair with stubble to match and piercing light brown eyes. The woman next to him had also had brown hair, and it was in a messy ponytail. She had an almost stern countenance, as she furiously scribbled out some equation on the napkin next to her. 

They all looked up at the two of them, and all smiled happily. "Sei qui per il pranzo?" The woman with the ponytail asked them. 

Thor wasn't able to see his face, but he was sure it had turned white as a sheet the second the woman started speaking Italian. He turned to Loki, who looked equally as flustered. Loki stammered and wove his hands around, trying to formulate a response that would make some semblance of sense. 

"Uhh, Noi..." Loki gestured to Thor and him, but before he could embarrass himself any further, the man held out his hand to halt Loki's broken attempt to communicate.

Smiling warmly, he opened his mouth. "Americans, I'm assuming?" The man spun his hands in a little circle to emphasize the question. 

Thor took the reigns on this conversation. "Yes, sorry, probably should have asked if you spoke English." All of the dinner patrons laughed wholesomely and reassured them that it was fine. "But, could you repeat that question?" The ponytail woman smiled and laughed. 

"I asked if you guys were here for lunch," she reinstated. 

Thor blushed at the question and shook his head no. "We're just neighbors here to say hello, I hope we didn't interrupt anything! It sounded like you guys were having a good time!" 

The blonde-haired woman smiled warmly. "No, no! You're fine! We're just waiting on Bruce, so no big issue!"

Loki stepped in this time. "Bruce...he owns the place?" They all nodded in agreement with his statement. 

The dark-haired woman scoffed at herself and looked at the others, "guys here we are talking about Bruce, and we haven't even introduced ourselves! I'm Maria." She stretched out her hand to Loki and Thor, and the two exchanged glances on who would shake her hand first before Loki just took the initiative and returned her friendly gesture. 

Smiling, the blonde-haired woman smiled and said, "Carol." The woman in the ponytail squinted her eyes and exclaimed, "Hope!" Then the man grabbed Thor's shoulder and winked at Thor, "Scott," he said, causing Thor to blush immensely.

At the end of the introductions, the door across from the table swung open, and a man stepped out. He wore a dark purple polo and khaki shorts and was carrying a bowl a tray of some sort so Thor couldn't see his face. His hair, however, poked out above the plate, and it was a beautiful salt and pepper color, the grey more apparent on the side of his head, which was shorter, and the top of his head was far more curly and a darker color. The man set the plate down on the table, which held various foods such as salad, spreads, and bread. It was when he set down the tray he noticed Thor and Loki and looked up. Thor was quite flustered when he looked up. He had stubble on his cheekbones and surrounding his lips, but as his hair, it was grey and black. Like most of his friends, his eyes were a deep chocolate brown, and around his eyes were subtle lines, either from age or stress, but Thor estimated this man couldn't be much older than him, so he chalked it down to stress. 

The man inspected Thor and Loki and smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt and smiled, revealing a pleasant smile, and Thor noticed one of his front teeth was crooked, but he thought it was quite endearing. He cleared his throat and fully intending to be able to answer whatever question this man asked was slapped in the face with a "Ciao, come va?

Thor blinked rapidly before trying to formulate an answer, trying not to make a complete fool of himself. Before he could say anything, Carol stepped in. "They're Americans, so Italian isn't great at the moment." It was apparent Carol was trying to be as non-condescending as possible, and Thor much appreciated it, as not knowing any Italian was quite embarrassing in front of all these lovely people. He was positive his feelings only mirrored Loki's. 

The man spoke again. "So, without sounding like a jerk," he laughed while speaking, "who are you guys?" 

Loki smiled at the gesture and let out a huff of air from his nose. "We're your new neighbors; we moved in just down the hill. I'm Loki, and this," He gestured to his brother, "is my brother Thor."

The second Loki announced they were living in Odin's villa, the man's brow furrowed. "I'm Bruce, but did you guys just move in? I honestly thought that place would be dilapidated after all this time." 

Loki smiled awkwardly. "We're still working some things out you could say, we need to get the plumbing and electrical inspected to make sure there's nothing damaged."

Bruce shook his head worriedly, "Well, you guys can't stay there for the night! You two are exhausted and having no water. You'll die of heat exhaustion with no air conditioning. You're welcome to stay here if you like, I have extra rooms." 

Loki's mouth slightly gaped. "I really appreciate the offer, really, but we never would intrude upon your home, we just stopped by to-"

Bruce shook his head and held out his hand. "It's a big house." Everyone around the table looked up at Loki and Thor and nodded their heads. "You guys can have an entire floor or section of the house to yourselves; I promise it's not an issue."

Thor looked at his brother and shrugged. "Couldn't hurt," thought Thor. The two nodded at each other. 

Loki held his hand out to Bruce. "If you're still offering, we accept."


End file.
